Tonight we dance at the birthday celebration of a true American original, the amazing Bob Dylan.

The work of Bob Dylan (May 24, 1941) is vast, awesome, majestic, and compelling. We haven't known an American poet who embodied such electricity since Woody Guthrie, and before him, Walt Whitman. Robert Zimmerman, aka “Bob Dylan,” was one of my most potent influences as a teen in 60s Amerika, as well as when I wrote a few hundred songs between 1980-1984. Some of his offerings still have the power to blow the illusion to the far side of Pluto.

He has influenced popular music in countless ways, and gone through quite a few personality changes, as would befit his Gemini nature. His songs are among the most covered in music:

"Blowin' In The Wind," "A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall," "Like A Rolling Stone," "Desolation Row," "Forever Young," "The Times They Are A-Changing," "Love Minus Zero No Limit," "Chimes of Freedom," "Don't Think Twice," "Mister Tambourine Man," "I Shall Be Released," "Gates of Eden," "Just Like A Woman," "All Along The Watchtower," "Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again," "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight," "It's All Right Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)," "Ballad of A Thin Man," "The Mighty Quinn," "She Belongs To Me," "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere," "Knocking on Heaven's Door," "Gotta Serve Somebody," "Things Have Changed," and a few hundred more, some of which will take your breath away.

A sample of his story telling from one of the best:

"They're selling postcards of the hanging They're painting the passports brown, The beauty parlor is filled with sailors The circus is in town, Here comes the blind commissioner They've got him in a trance, One hand is tied to the tight-rope walker The other is in his pants, And the riot squad they're restless They need somewhere to go, As Lady and I look out tonight From Desolation Row.."

Various chapters of his life have been covered in several films. "Don't Look Back" is an unbelievable piece of work if you've never seen it, the first of its kind, and while the young prince was somewhat obnoxious, it's understandable when you consider that the world was looking to a poet for answers to its nuclear brinkmanship and wars started by manipulative war criminals. Even the Beatles were in awe of his music. He took the world by the scruff of its neck and made it sit up and pay attention, since in his immortal words, "You know something's happening here but you don't know what it is, do you, Mister Jones?" Full song lyrics at the end of this article.

Many of Bob Dylan's performances have been yanked from you tube, so what I offer today is a bit of a hodgepodge. Still, enjoy America's bard!

Last year, I had a few clips from his 1963 performances from Carnegie Hall and Brandeis University, as well as a very early live clip of him doing “Man of Constant Sorrows” but they disappeared. But I do want to offer something from that ultimate folk era dream, so where possible I found something from that era.

This is a score! It’s the first song of his first electric set at Newport in 1965, where he committed folk heresy by strapping on a Strat with Mike Bloomfield giving us some blistering leads! The end of the folk god and the emergence of the folk-rock god! “Maggie’s Farm”

Last year, I had the full 91 minute pioneering cinema verite’ done by the legendary D.A. Pennebaker, “Don’t Look Back,” which documents Dylan’s mid-60s UK tour, complete with some great performances! This year the complete work is no longer anywhere on the web. To make matters worse, last year I found parts 2, 3, and 4 to the movie. This year part 3 disappeared, leaving only parts 2 and 4.

Last year I had it, this year it’s gone. The 1966 documentary done by D.A. Pennebaker of Dylan’s UK tour with the Hawks has again disappeared. Better luck next year. Still, I found this 33 minutes from that film! Bob Dylan and the Band on Tour - 1966

More performances!

First, an unbelievable live video clip of him doing one of the most haunted songs he ever wrote! From Highway 61 Revisited, the awesome “Ballad of a Thin Man”

Last year I had his 1966 Royal Albert Hall tracks, but this year they’ve disappeared. However, I found this gem from the same transitional era, a 1 hour 42 audio-only clip from his Paris appearance in 1966!

Also from Blood On the Tracks, an outtake acoustic version of a little known gem called "Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts." (Last year I had the original electric album version, but it’s disappeared.)

A last one from that amazing album, though I can’t find the electric version and did find the interesting acoustic version that was apparently withdrawn from circulation at the time! His scathing indictment of someone. "Idiot Wind."

Live from New Orleans in 1976, a live audio-only version of “Idiot Wind”

This is Dylan at his rawest live! From Atlanta in 1978, “taking us to church” in his autobiographical confessional from “Street Legal,” the awesome “Changing of the Guards”

I found this clip, with Patti Smith groovin' smooth in her offering of the song. So tough, so tender.... "Changing of the Guards."

Here's the post I did with lyrics for "Forever Young" and "Love Minus Zero No Limit," two of my favorite Bob Dylan love songs. Rather than his usual stream of consciousness story telling, these are some very beautiful songs with beautiful imagery and messages. For your enjoyment, Bob live with the Band in an amazing live performance from “The Last Waltz” of “Forever Young” RIP Levon. A bunch of us still miss you.

The second version of this amazing song from Planet Waves is a little jauntier and up tempo than the better known version, but it’s disappeared this year. So instead, I found this great live version of “Forever Young”

Here’s a great audio only 1965 performance in England of “Love Minus Zero No Limit.” Last year I had a great 1996 video from the House of Blues in Atlanta of this song, but it disappeared. This may or may not be it, but it’s still a beautiful live performance of “Love Minus Zero No Limit”

Taken from No Direction Home, live in 1966 in England, a haunting performance of the legendary “Ballad of a Thin Man”

In a special nod to 1965's "Highway 61 Revisited," from Letterman’s 10th anniversary, Bob live on the show cranking out "Like A Rolling Stone," said to be the number one song of all time that broke countless musical barriers.

Live on Letterman in 1984, Bob giving us a great performance of “Jokerman”

Here’s Bob on Letterman in 1993 giving us a live performance of “Forever Young”

I found it again! Here’s a great live video from the 1992 Bobfest at Madison Square Garden of the great George Harrison cranking out a very danceable version of Bob’s “Absolutely Sweet Marie,” which we’ll follow with the rocking studio version by one of my favorite groups of all time, the legendary Flamin’ Groovies! “Absolutely Sweet Marie”

In a rare bootleg from the Palomino Club in North Hollywood in 1987, we find Nelson and Lucky Wilbury with John Fogerty, Jessie Ed Davis, and Taj Mahal in an unrehearsed set doing a bunch of amazing tunes!

From Lucky’s time recording with the other Traveling Wilburys, even though there were no separate songwriting credits, we are told these are his contributions to that effort. Since they never toured or performed live, these are all audio-only studio tracks.

From 1990, the Grateful Dead with Jerry singing lead giving us their boogie version of “The Mighty Quinn”

Here's a post that I dedicated to one of the most amazing songs ever written. It features links to performances by the Byrds, as well as a spectacular performance by Bruce Springsteen doing Dylan's "Chimes of Freedom." Full song lyrics included that will move anyone with a heart. Even though neither performance has the full second and third verses, still check them out. Bruce’s performance is awe inspiring!

This one’s major league! Welcome to the Boss and Bob giving us an in-your-face cranked up live version of “All Along the Watchtower” and “Forever Young” (Yes, I gave “Forever Young” to you earlier, but it’s so beautiful I figured you wouldn’t mind.)

From 1993 at Willie’s 60th, here’s a great live clip of Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan performing “Pancho and Lefty”

I found some great live performances featuring Bob and the great Mark Knopfler!

I found a few live performances of one of my favorites. I used to know all the verses way back when, and it tells quite a story! As I gave you at the beginning, “They’re selling postcards of the hanging, they’re painting the passports brown, the beauty parlor is filled with sailors, the circus is in town...”

Though I gave this to you earlier, I’ll give it to you again! From his 1966 tour in Oz, a true masterpiece performance of “Desolation Row”

We'll close this trifecta with Bob live in Massachusetts in 2009 doing “Desolation Row”

Last year I had 90 minutes of documentary and great performances titled “Bob Dylan – the 30th Anniversary,” but I can’t find it anywhere. However, I did find this show from 1992 at Madison Square Garden featuring Zimmie, Eric, George, Tom, Roger, Steve, Neil, and others titled “Robert Zimmerman and Friends” The link takes you to “All Along the Watchtower” and autoloads the tracks from there.

We’ll begin to close today with one of my all time favorite songs, delivered live in 1988 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by our birthday boy with friends George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Mick Jagger, Mike Love, Elton John and others! “All Along the Watchtower”

And from 1970, rare live audio-only footage of the archetypal arrangement of this song, performed by the Master Himself, Jimi Hendrix! “All Along the Watchtower,” and here’s the amazing original studio version from Electric Ladyland of “All Along the Watchtower." Bob Dylan does this arrangement in concert rather than his original version. That's how powerful this was/is!

For our first encore, a slight departure from Lucky’s performances, but not from his music! For your dancing pleasure, live in Philly in 1989, the Grateful Dead cranking out a very danceable version of our Saturday Night Attitude tune “Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again.”

So if you're inclined, join the party, and send up a prayer of thanks to the man who wrote "May God bless and keep you always, May your wishes all come true, May you always do for others, And let others do for you. May you build a ladder to the stars, And climb on every rung, May you stay forever young..."

Thanks, Lucky. Not bad for a boy from Hibbing, Minnesota, up on the iron range. When you left for New York it was the world's gain. You set a standard for wordsmithing that exemplifies the best of Gemini. Sorry yer bros Nelson and Lefty Wilbury left the building a while back, and Charlie T. Jr. just joined them not long ago. May you stay forever young, and have many, many more birthdays in the years to come.

As I told you above, I'd give you the lyrics to "Ballad of a Thin Man," another song from "Highway 61 Revisited." This one's heavy.....

For our final encore, from April 2013 in Missouri, here’s Bob live doing a menacing version of “Ballad of a Thin Man”

BALLAD OF A THIN MAN

You walk into the room With your pencil in your hand
You see somebody naked And you say, "Who is that man?"
You try so hard But you don't understand
Just what you'll say When you get home
Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

You raise up your head And you ask, "Is this where it is?"
And somebody points to you and says "It's his"
And you say, "What's mine?" And somebody else says, "Where what is?"
And you say, "Oh my God Am I here all alone?"
Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

You hand in your ticket And you go watch the geek
Who immediately walks up to you When he hears you speak
And says, "How does it feel To be such a freak?"
And you say, "Impossible" As he hands you a bone
Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

You have many contacts Among the lumberjacks
To get you facts When someone attacks your imagination
But nobody has any respect Anyway they already expect you
To just give a check To tax-deductible charity organizations

You've been with the professors And they've all liked your looks
With great lawyers you have Discussed lepers and crooks
You've been through all of F. Scott Fitzgerald's books
You're very well read It's well known
Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you And then he kneels
He crosses himself And then he clicks his high heels
And without further notice He asks you how it feels
And he says, "Here is your throat back Thanks for the loan"
Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

Now you see this one-eyed midget Shouting the word "NOW"
And you say, "For what reason?" And he says, "How?"
And you say, "What does this mean?" And he screams back, "You're a cow
Give me some milk Or else go home"
Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

Well, you walk into the room Like a camel and then you frown
You put your eyes in your pocket And your nose on the ground
There ought to be a law Against you comin' around
You should be made To wear earphones
Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?